Archaeologists have unearthed a series of exciting historic finds at a building site in Woodston, Peterborough (England). Origins of the medieval settlement – along with rare Neolithic remains from 2,500-3,000 BCE – were discovered during excavations at the George Wimpey East Midlands development.
The three-month dig was carried out by a team from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) before construction work got underway. The discovery of ancient pits and gullies from the prehistoric Neolithic period of around 2,500-3,000 BCE is extremely rare. These contained pottery, used by the first farming settlers 5,000 years ago, known as Peterborough Ware, plus discarded stone tools from the period.
ULAS director Patrick Clay said: "The discoveries on this site have been extremely exciting and interesting, and are very important when mapping the history of the Peterborough area. "They give a fascinating insight into what life was like thousands of years ago."